At age 4, I started playing soccer, tennis, and basketball. As a youth, I spent time between school, practices, and games. I loved being outside and active, but became overweight when organized sports stopped and I continued to eat like they hadn't.

I graduated from high school in 2003, went to a local community college, and worked full-time. I also got into a relationship that I'm still in today, lost control of my schedule, and started eating fast food because it was quick and cheap. The high energy I was known for was gone and I was weighed down by calories and cholesterol. I had a gym pass but couldn't make myself go.

In June 2010, I went on a trip to Moab, Utah, with my family. As my father and I waited to go on a horseback riding trip, I saw a basketball hoop next to the barn. I attempted one shot, missed, tried to rebound the ball, landed awkwardly, and tore my right ACL. That's when I realized my body couldn't hold my weight. After the injury, I gained 20 more pounds.

It was months before I could walk. My mother was concerned for my health and talked to me about getting lap-band surgery. After the conversation and doctor consultation, I made an appointment for the procedure. A week before the surgery, I told my mom I couldn't go through with it, but neglected to change my diet.

I weighed 246 pounds in April 2010, was about to turn 27 years old, and told myself I wouldn't look like this at age 30. Now I'm 29 years old, weigh 136 pounds, and have never felt better!

How I Accomplished My Goals

After my birthday, I decided to completely change my diet. I kept a food journal and eliminated soda from my diet. I quit eating fast food and avoided the establishments. I started to cook more at home and prepared my meals beforehand.

The dietary changes helped me lose the first 40 pounds and I started taking my dog on hikes daily. I was losing weight but didn't feel comfortable inside the gym. I gradually added more physical activities into my daily schedule and the pounds started to disappear.

A year ago, I hit a weight-loss plateau and couldn't get below 190 pounds. I was going to the gym regularly, but only did cardio. I needed extra help and started working with Robert Stefanko, an advanced certified personal trainer for No Limit Personal Training in Placentia, California. I lost another 54 pounds on Robert's training and nutritional system that gave me the tools to loss weight.